Hand stamp and type therefor



July 30, 1963 w, MUNSQN 3,099,213

HAND STAMP AND TYPE THEREFOR Filed June 6, 1961 INVENTOR.WH/T/VEYKMUNSON BY MW HTTORNEY 3,099,213 Patented July 30, 19633,099,213 HAND STAMP AND TYPE THEREFOR Whitney K. Munson, P.O. Box 312,Red Bank, NJ. Filed June 6, 1961, Ser. No. 115,212 Claims. (Cl. 101-380)This invention relates to what are generally referred to as hand stampsemploying a simple and economical form of type supporting body,including means for quickly attaching and detaching assembled type unitswith the body. More particularly, the invention deals with a novel formof type structure, wherein the type is formed with projecting printingcharacters and assemblage guidance characters on opposed surfaces of thetype and, wherein, the second named characterized surface is split inthe molding or formation thereof to simplify production of the type.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in reach of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side View of the body portion of a hand stamp,with parts of the construction broken away and illustrating anassemblage of type on a type unit mounted in said body portion.

FIG. 2 is a detached View of the unit with the type characters thereon,as shown in FIG. 1, with a section through the characters on one surfaceof the type, the section being substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a section substantially on FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing, I have indicated at '10 the bodyportion of a hand stamp which, in the present illustration, is in theform of a molded plastic body, as indicated by the sectioning in FIG. 3.The body is generally channel-shaped in form, in other words, is definedby side Walls 11 joined by a crosshead 12, the latter having alongitudinal recess on its upper surface, as indicated at 13.

The channel of the body 14 is illustrated at 14 and arranged in thechannel upon the surface of the crosshead 12 is a backing strip ofrubber 15, particularly having a flexible characteristic. This backingstrip provides a yieldable support for type members 16 arranged in thechannel 14. The members 16 are first assembled in an elongated rod ofsuitable rigid material 17 in a desired spaced relationship to eachother, the type characters having apertures extending therethrourg h, asclearly illustrated at 18 in FIGS. 1 and 3, these apertures snuglyreceiving the rod 17 to make it possible for definitely positioningcharacters along the unit, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and avoid the useof spacing blocks, for example, between the space C and O and O and Dcharacters, as noted in FIG. 2.

Each of the type characters have on opposed surfaces and in the use ofthe stamp what can be termed the upper and lower surfaces projectingtype characters 19 and 20, respectively. The characters 19 are so[formed on the members 16 as to provide guidance for assemblage of thetype on the rod 17 in forming the type unit for attachment anddetachment with respect to the body 10; Whereas, the characters 20 areformed to properly print the subject matter on any desired surface, thusavoiding the difficulty in assemblage of type for the proper arrangementin printing. This feature is particularly desirable for use by schoolchildren in spelling words or making type assemblages of any kind.

As will clearly appear from a consideration of FIG. 3 of the drawing,the projecting characters 19 and 20 the line 33 of are integral with andformed in the molding of the type characters. At the same time, theupper portion of the type, including the characters 19, is molded with asplit 21 therein. The splits in the several characters of FIG. 2 areclearly noted by the line 21 extending through the type. Incidentally,inf-the sectional showing of the type in FIG. 1, the section ispurposely off from the split line in order to more clearly illustratethe type and its association with the backing 15.

Arranged and set in the recess 13 of the crosshead 12 is a type unitholding and supporting elastic 22, the central portion of which is heldin fixed position on the body 10 by the usual handle for the bodyindicated, in part, at 23 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The ends of the elastic aresufliciently long to tensionally extend over the ends of the body andhave slit apertures therein for reception of the ends of the rod 17. Oneof these apertures is indicated at 24 at the left of FIG. 1 and the slitof said aperture is indicated at 25. The purpose of slitting is tosimplifiy attachment of the elastic ends with the ends of the rod 17.The ends of the elastic are simply pulled down over the ends of the rodand then snapped over these ends to assume a position illustratedsubstantially in FIG. 1. The tension of the elastic in holding the typeunit, which includes the rod 17 in position, is sufficient to at leastpartially embed the characters 19 in the backing 15, as diagrammaticallyillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing.

'Fhe projecting characters 19 thus become definitely positioned in thebody 10 or What might be said to be keyed in position in the body 10, soas to maintain spacing thereof, as indicated in the arrangement of thetype in the body 10 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The type is preferablyformed of a width to fit snugly in the channel 14 of the body 10, aswill appear from a consideration 11 are preferably cut away, asindicated at 1:1 to maintain the characters 20 in a freely exposedposition beyond the body 10 of the stamp.

In the use of the device, the type is mounted on the rod 17 .by passageof the rod through the apertures 18 in the type and then moved to thedesired adjusted position on the rod as illustrated, for example, inFIG. 2 of the drawing, the characters 19 guiding the operator in properselection of type and positioning on the rod. It is also preferred that,in forming the type, the characters 19 be formed in a color contrastingto the remainder of the type. For example, the type can be formed ofblack rubber; whereas, the upper surface portion of the type, includingthe characters 19, can be formed of a red rubber, the two rubbers beingunited in the molding or forming operation.

For purposes of description, the characters 19 may be said to be on theinner end or surface portion of each type member; whereas, thecharacters 24) are on the outer surface or end of the member. It willalso appear that the split, as at 21, extends longitudinally of theaperture, thus leaving the sides of the inner end portion of each memberlaterally flexible for removal from the core forming the aperture 18 inthe molding of the type members.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand stamp comprising a channel body, said body having side wallsjoined by a crosshead, the outer surface of said crosshead having arecess extending the hull length thereof, a handle member directly fixedto the crosshead centrally of said body, a type unit for mounting in thechannel of said body, said unit comprising an elongated rod having endsprojecting beyond ends of said body, type members spaced longitudinallyof the rod, said members having apertures in which the rod is arrangedcfior frictional support of the members on said rod, one outer surfaceof each member having a printing character thereon, the opposed innersurface of said member having a (guidance character thereon, bothcharacters projecting from the surfaces of said member, means mounted inthe recess of said crosshea-d and extending over the ends of said bodyand engaging said rod ends for yiel da-bly supporting the type unit inthe channel of said body, a yieldable backing arranged in said channel,and said guidance characters being normally embedded in said backing indefinitely positioning said members in predetermined spaced relationshipon said rod.

2. A hand stamp comprising a channel body, said body having side Wallsjoined by a crosshead, the outer surface of said crosshead having arecess extending the full length thereof, a handle member directly fixed.to the crosshead centrally of said body, a type unit for mounting inthe channel of said body, said unit comprising an elongated rod havingends projecting beyond ends OtE said body, type members spacedlongitudinally of the rod, said members having apertures in which therod is arranged for frictional support of the members on said red, oneouter surface of each member having a printing character thereon, theopposed inner surface of said member having a guidance characterthereon, both characters projecting from the surface of said member,means mounted in the recess of said crosshead and extending over theends of said body and engaging said rod ends for yieldably supportingthe type unit in the channel of said body, each member at the innersurface portion thereof including a split extending into andlongitudinally of the aperture of said body, and adjacent surfaces ofeach member, where split, abutting when said members are arranged in thechannel of said body.

3. A hand stamp as defined in claim 2, wherein a yieldable backing isarranged in said channel, and said guidance characters being normallyembedded in said backing in definitely positioning said members inpredetermined spaced relationship on said rod.

4. In stamps of the character described, a type member having anaperture extending therethrongh, a printing type character projectingfrom one surface of said member, a guidance type c aracter projectingfrom the other opposed surface of said member, the last named surfaceportion of said member having a split extending to and longitudinally ofthe aperture in said member,

and adjacent surfaces of the member, Where split, abutting.

5. In stamps as defined in claim 4, wherein said member is composed ofrubber, and the character on one surface being of a nubber colorcontrasting to the rubber color of the character 1011 the opposed surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A HAND STAMP COMPRISING A CHANNEL BODY, SAID BODY HAVING SAID WALLSJOINED BY A CROSSHEAD, THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CROSSHEAD HAVING ARECESS EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF, A HANDLE MEMBER DIRECTLY FIXEDTO THE CROSSHEAD CENTRALLY OF SAID BODY, A TYPE UNIT FOR MOUNTING IN THECHANNEL OF SAID BODY, SAID UNIT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ROD HAVING ENDSPROJECTING BEYOND ENDS OF SAID BODY, TYPE MEMBERS SPACED LONGITUDINALLYOF THE ROD, SAID MEMBERS HAVING APERTURES IN WHICH THE ROD IS ARRANGEDFOR FRICTIONAL SUPPORT OF THE MEMBERS ON SAID ROD, ONE OUTER SURFACE OFEACH MEMBERS HAVING A PRINTING CHARACTER THEREON, THE OPPOSED INNERSURFACE OF SAID MEMBER HAVING A GUIDANCE CHARACTER THEREON, BOTHCHARACTERS PROJECTING FROM THE SURFACES OF SAID MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTED INTHE RECESS OF SAID CROSSHEAD AND EXTENDING OVER THE ENDS OF SAID BODYAND ENGAGING SAID ROD ENDS FOR YIELDABLY SUPPORTING THE TYPE UNIT IN THECHANNEL OF SAID BODY, A YIELDABLE BACKING ARRANGED IN SAID CHANNEL, ANDSAID GUIDANCE CHARACTERS BEING NORMALLY EMBEDDED IN SAID BACKING INDEFINITELY POSITIONING SAID MEMBERS IN PREDETERMINED SPACED RELATIONSHIPON SAID ROD.